Craigslist co-founder Craig Newmark has been showering millions of dollars on various nonprofit journalistic entities. He doesn't get to own anything, but he does get his name on a J-school.

The bottom line: Journalists tend to have mixed feelings when their publications are bought for nine-figure sums. On the one hand, it's a vote of confidence in their work and a sign that it's valuable. On the other hand, the money is going to sellers, not journalists. If the buyers expect a decent return on their investment, then the higher the purchase price, the bigger the un-reinvested dividends the new owner might demand.